Henry e



(No Model.) v H. E'. PQND. l

GAME APPARATUS. Y

No. 259,207 Patented June 6, 1882.

m5566- faz/67W?? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

vHENRY E. POND, OF FRANKLIN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES H.. NASON,OF SAME PLACE.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,207, dated J'une,1882.

Application filed April 1,1882. (No model.) i

To all whom 'it may concern.-

Be it' known that I, HENRY E. POND, of Franklin, county of Norfolk,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Game Apparatus,of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification. i

My invention relates to a game apparatus,

A and has for its object to include in asi'ngle n one diagram the squareof an ordinary checker or chessboard, and also the diagram of the gameknown as morris or fox and geese."7 The two portions of the box arehinged together, and when opened form an alley which is provided withspots for ten-pins, andis also provided with a removable bridge andVpockets for playing the game ot' sipio. A small spring-gun is employedto shoot or propel balls at the ten-pins, or at the stationaryy ballemployedinthegameofsipio. Allthemovable apparatus-such as the balls,ten-pins, checkers, and dice-can be contained within a small boxprovidedfor the purpose, it being held in place inthe main box or thegame apparatus by a suitable brace, the said main box being closed by aclasp, so that it can be readily carried about without danger of losingany of its contents.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus closed, showing thediagrams of two of the games; Fig. 2, a similar view, showing theopposite side o f the box with backgammon-board diagram thereon 5 Fig.3, a view of the interior of the box arranged for the game ot' sipio;Fig. 4, a similar view thereof, arranged for ten-pins; Fig. 5, a planview of the box when closed, showing the movable apparatus in theinterior thereof; and Fig. 6, a

longitudinal section of the gun employed for propelling the balls.

The apparatus consists mainly of a box made in two portions, a b, hingedtogether at e, thesaid portions,when turned over upon one another, asshown in Figs. l and 2, being held together by a clasp, and then forminga rectangular box, one of the sides of which is shown in Fig. 1 asprovided with a diagram, e,'for the game of morris or fox and geese, anddiagram f for checkers, while the other side is marked out for the gameof backgammon, as shown in Fig. 2.

When the two portions of the boxareturned upon the hinges c into linewith one another, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, they form a long trough,having an alley, g, provided at one end with a springlgun, h, forpropelling a ball along the said alley.

The portion a ot' the box is provided with grooves'2 for a bridge, t',(see Fig. 3,) having a seriesot different openings or arches, towardwhich a ball,j, mounted upon a spot near the middle of the alley, may bepropelled, it being struck by the ball k, (see Fig. 6,) thrown from thegun k.

A series of pockets, l, located behind the bridge t', receive the ballsin case they pass through the arches, and thus indicate which arch theball came through, different numbers being scored for sending a ballthrough theA diierentcarches.

The end of the alley g in the portion act' the apparatus is providedwith spots for ten-pins propelled directly from the gun It or by a ballan.,i (see Fig. 4.,) which may be shot at by a ball mounted upon thespot, las at j, (see Fig. 3,)

and propelled by impact from the ball shot from the gun.

When using the apparatus for ten-pius, as shown in Fig. 4,-the bridge t'is removed from the grooves.

The gun his provided with a pivot, n, as shown in Fig. 6, mounted in asocket in the end of the alley g, the ends of the said gun y restingupon arcs o, and being held in place by an elastic strap, p, permanentlyattached to the alley g, and passing over a projection, q, near themuzzle of the gun, thus enabling the gun to be turned and held in anydesired direction while the ball is being tired. The said gun has achamber, i', in its muzzle portion of sufficient size to receive theball k, as shown in Fig. 6, and also has a plunger, s, connected withthe movable breech-piece t, drawn by an elastic spring, u, (see Figs. 3and 4,) toward the body of the gun. The said breech-piece t hasconnected with it a holding-rod, @,which is engaged by the trigger w tohold the said breech-piece back, with the spring u strained, as shown inFi". 3, and dottedlines Fig. 6. By pressing on the end a" of the saidtrigger the :rod c is released, when the said breech-piece t and plungers are propelled forward and strike the ball k, which is then at the backof the chamber 1', thus propelling the said ball for ward.

The small detachable portions of the apparatus-such as the balls j k,ten-pins on, dice, checker or chess men y-areinclosed in a box, E, (seeFig. 5,) having suitable partitions, and the portion aot' themainoutside boX or apparatus is provided with a removable brace, a2, iittedin slots 3,for retaining the said interiorbox, in proper position.

In packing up the apparatus, as shown in Fig. 5, the bridge i and bracesa2 are inserted in their respective slots 2 3, and the box z and itscontents placed between the said bridge and brace.Asuiiicientspaceisleftatthesideof the said box z for the dice-boxes 03and gun 71which may be partly inserted in one ofthe said diceboxes. Whenpacked in this way the appa- 'ratus can be carried in any positionwithout danger of losing any of the small articles or of having themrattle about.

I claim- 1. In a game apparatus, the main box or case, consisting of twoportions, a b, adapted, when opened, to form an alley, and having theirsides marked with diagrams, as described, for different games, incombination with a box for containing the removable devices employed inthe games, and means to secure the same in the interior of the main boxor case when closed, substantially as described.

2. The main box, consisting of two portion hinged together, and providedon its outside with diagrams ot' gaines 'to be played thereon whenclosed, and adapted, when opened, to form an alley, combined withremovable bridgepiece fi, pockets l, and the spring-gun h, substantially as described.

3. The alley g, provided with the pivotal socket, combined with thesegments an'd elastic band p, and the spring-gun, adapted to be heldpointing in any desired direction by the said band, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a game apparatus, the ball-propelling gun, it consisting oi' themain chambered portion or barrel of the gun, with the plunger,breech-piece, and spring, and the guide-rod fv, connected with lthe saidbreech-piece, and trigger, adapted to engage the said guide-rod,substantially as described.

In testimonywhereof I have signed lnyname to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY E. POND.

Witnesces J Essa L. N AsoN, JAMES H. NnsoN.

